


Mirrored Emotions (Why Don't You STAY CLOSE TO ME?)

by Sincerely_Devra



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Canon Divergence, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Character's name spelled as Yuuri, M/M, Viktor's mother has cancer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-11 14:13:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19111315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sincerely_Devra/pseuds/Sincerely_Devra
Summary: In a world where soulmates and figure skating collide, two lost souls connect in the most magical way possible.Viktor Nikiforov was known as genius protege in figure skating ever since he rose up in the ranks and eventually won gold in the Junior Grand Prix at the age of 15. But Viktor didn't feel that way. Behind his bright smiles and bubbly airhead persona, he knew the truth-he was a cheat.





	1. Lures

From a very young age Viktor Nikiforov knew he had a soulmate. He also knew his soulmate was in fact, a _he_ , was younger than him by a few years, spoke Japanese, and was an amazing ballet dancer. How does he know this? Why, he could see and experience the the emotions of his young mate as they were happening, of course. If he concentrated very hard, he could even mirror his young mates moves as they were happening.

Soon, he learned ballet alongside his mate, with some other unconventional dance forms in the mix, and then figure skating.

And Viktor loved every moment of it.

His mate was the genius. He choreographed nearly all Viktor's short and long programs, teaching them to him so that he could skate them for the world to see. His poor mate was unable to be in the limelight himself, because he was an omega and according to the ISU, omega's were not allowed to skate competitively without being bonded to their alpha.

Unfortunately, both Viktor and his mate were too young to get bonded, in every country-he checked.

Another thing was under strict regulations by the ISU, same sex partners were banned from performing in either pair skating or ice dance in competition.

And so, Viktor competed in Single Men's Figure Skating with his beloved's mate's routines.

And won.

And felt like a cheat.

Who exactly was his mate? Why didn't he reach out once his face became famous?

His mate would surely recognize his own routines on national television and try to connect. Right? RIGHT?!

Where are you? Why won't you come?

I know you so well, yet I don't know you at all.

Why Don't you Stay Close To Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all,
> 
> So I've been a fan of Yuri!!! on Ice for two years now and wanted to get the basic concept of this particular fanfic out there. I really couldn't sleep so I wrote up the summary and posted a teaser chapter called "Lure". 
> 
> Please enjoy. And know that this works is not beta'd and I am not quick with updates at all. 
> 
> Sincerely, 
> 
> Devra
> 
> P.S. Happy PRIDE week!


	2. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Viktor saw through Yuuri's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimers:  
> I do not own Yuri!!! on Ice. Obviously. 
> 
> Also:  
> Viktor is Russian. He speaks Russian. I do not speak Russian.  
> Yuuri is Japanese. He speaks Japanese. I do not speak Japanese. 
> 
> Author's Notes:  
> 1\. I do not trust google translate to get it correct 100% of the time. And I am not using Cyrillic or Kanji script, but latin phonetics. 
> 
> 2\. For future chapters, I will differentiate between languages with written ques instead of giving entire dialogue in these languages.  
> i.e. Switching to Russian, Viktor says, " "
> 
> 3\. I will still have (smaller) conversations in these languages, until these two soulmates learn each others native languages. Right now they are children and I wanted to show their lack of understanding of each other culture and language. 
> 
> 4\. I will throw in smaller phrases and words in their respective languages, every now and then. Like babushka (Russian for grandmother), or Okaasan (Japanese for mother), etc. 
> 
> 5a. Viktor's family is not mentioned at all in the original series. I know there is a movie coming out soon-ish (not soon enough) that is supposed to give us background information of Viktor's childhood, or so I presume. In this AU, Viktors mom has cancer and is in the hospital. She is also a famous opera singer. She sings Stay Close To Me to Viktor. 
> 
> 5b. I provided a link of the song with English translation of the lyrics. know that the link I give for Stay Close to Me was sung by a male opera singer. But it is what inspired me to write Mirrored Emotions in the first place. Pretend it is a female opera singer, folks.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

      A lone figure sat in an uncomfortable chair next to an empty hospital bed, occupying their time by reading a rather large book. The title of the book read,  _How Two Souls Connect: Mirroring_ the name of the author was blocked by the persons, tiny pale hands. Just visible from behind the book were short legs with skinned knees, white tube socks and bright black buckled shoes. Just over the top of the book was a wide forehead and silver hair. 

      The sound of wheels rolling on tile floor caught the attention of the figure in the chair. When the door to the room opened, bright cerulean eyes peaked over the top of the book. As the man in the white coat turned around to wheel in a woman with familiar features, a soft bow shape smiles graced their lips as they hopped down, tucking the book beneath their armpit. The child's features were no longer obstructed by the book and they could see the child had long silver hair braided messily and rested over one shoulder. If it wasn't for the boys school uniform with blue and gray plaid shirt, suspenders, bowtie, and jean shorts; the doctor would have mistaken the child as a girl. 

      "Vitya,  Lyubov' moya, chto ty zdes' delayesh'?" _My love, what are you doing here?_ The woman's dull blue eyes lit up when she saw the child and her surprised laughter sounded like bells. 

      "Mama, ya skuchal po tebe. YA prishel srazu iz shkoly. YA sam sel v avtobus." Vitya said excitedly.  _Mama, I missed you. I came right away after school. I took the bus by myself._ He emphasized his accomplishment by pounding one fist against his chest and raising his head proudly.  

        Rosa Nikiforova looked at her ten year old son, Viktor Dmitri Nikiforov with exasperated fondness. The doctor helped her into her hospital bed, and she sat forward, briefly out of breath as pillows were used to prop her up, IV's were hooked back up to the machines and monitors. Getting resituated, Rosa patted the bed beside her. With a happy squeak, Viktor clambered up on knees and elbows to sit beside his mother in the bed. The nurse looked on sternly, not saying anything, but her furrowed brow and pinched lips said it all. 

   The doctor, who unconventionally escorted his patient back to her room after the last CT scan, just chuckled, before pulling out a lolly to the young boy. His brown eyes sparkled behind blue wire rimmed glasses. "Your Mama, is doing well today Viktor." Looking up at his patient, he continued in a heavy Arminian accented English; "The scans show that we were able to remove ovarian and uterine cancer successfully with the hysterectomy. My team are not able to tell if the cancer cells have metastasized in the lymph nodes. We would like to do some preventative care treatments with chemotherapy. Since we do not have a specific target for any remaining cancer cells, my team feels that Radiation treatments will not be necessary like last time before the single cells became large cell cancer." All the while the doctor kept eye contact with Rosa and he outlined the treatment schedule. Viktor, who knew just enough English to know that his mother was fine at the moment, but didn't know enough English to understand the technical jargon of his mama's medical treatments, let his mind wander to the book he was reading when his Mama returned to her room. He crunched into lolly all the while tracing patterns into the bedsheets with his finger, just below his mother's knee. 

    He was reading about soulmates, a topic he was fascinated in since some of his schoolmates have already talked about experiencing mirrored emotions, and since his mother never talked about sharing a soulmate bond with anyone. He knew that his father was not his mama's soulmate. He was young then- four or five, but he remembered them arguing about it, and the sound of breaking glass and his mother crying all the time. He even went to the hospital a few times with his mama when she had a broken hand, or arm. One time it was the pretty bone above her boobies. Those times were sad. His mama was hurt and sad, and he was sad that his mama couldn't pick him up those times. 

     Now he was too big to be picked up, but that didn't stop him from wanting to curl up beside his mother, mindful of the wires and tubes connected to her arm, he snuggled into her side. He was sad a lot, but he always put a brave smile on for his mama. Like now. He looked up at his mama's face who had a very stern expression as she nodded at whatever the doctor was saying in rapid English. He thought her so beautiful, even when all her pretty silver hair started to fall out and she cut the rest of it all off. She wore a pretty purple scarf on her head now. It was one of the many he bought her with his allowance for Christmas.

     That was why Viktor never let anyone cut his hair. Even when he was teased at school for it and called a girl. He didn't care. He loved his mother and his hair. He wants to look just like her. He already does. They had the same smile, the same nose, the same eyes, and once Viktor's hair grew long enough; the same hair. It only reached his shoulders now, but soon it would reach his waist, just like his mama's had. 

     His mama was beautiful and Viktor was going to be beautiful, too.  

     Viktor's birthday was on December twenty-fifth; the same day as everywhere else celebrated Christmas, but he and mama didn't celebrate then. They celebrated after the New Year, on the seventh of January. Little Christmas it was called. Last Christmas mama was in the hospital. He was sad, but he visited the hospital and gave mama lots of pretty scarfs and hats as presents. He wanted to be able to make his mama happy, so he smiled the way she liked to see and told her all about his birthday and the Christmas play at school that she missed, because she was in the hospital. 

     He smiled, but he was sad. He didn't want to do any of those things if his mama wasn't with him. His heart felt heavy. He wondered, if he had a soulmate, if they could feel when he was sad. That was what he was reading when his mama came in. 

_How Two Souls Connect: Mirroring_

 

 

>  The first inkling that you have a soulmate is you might feel emotions that do not belong to you. These emotions have to be intense, adrenaline pumping emotions. To name a few, these are elation, fear, anger, or crippling sadness. (See chapter on  _Recognizing Emotions: Yours, Mine, Ours_ ).
> 
> Soulmates mirror their emotions to each other during times their emotions are at its peak. More often than not this was during puberty, but could also occur during times of traumatic experienciences, or other higher stress environments. (See chapter on _Trauma, Puberty, Bullying, and Depression)._
> 
> Everyone has a soulmate, but not everyone is able to connect with their soulmate. Sometimes demographics get in the way of two halves ever meeting. Soulmates are not restricted by age, sex, gender, or nationality. The person could be a friend from school, a neighbor, or a complete stranger who lives another town, city, state, province, country, or continent away. (See chapter on _Ways Soulmates Disconnect_ ).
> 
> As you get older, if you and your soulmate have different sleeping patterns, due to work or time zones, then you may experience seeing through the eyes of your soulmate. This comes with age and the older of the two soulmates will experience it first. One will find, that while you can see and hear and even feel what the other is experiencing at the time, you cannot interact with your soulmate. It is like watching a 3-D movie or playing a Virtual Reality Game. Also, your soulmate will never know you are there. (See chapter on  _Am I Dreaming or Did I Just...)._
> 
> As your connection grows and deepens with your soulmate; while awake and with immense concentration, soulmates could join their conscious together and mirror each other's actions. If one can do it, the other can too. Within reason. You might find yourself having a hidden talent, like cooking or gardening. Even if you yourself has never done these things in you life, but your soulmates has. This could be particularly dangerous during strenuous activities, sports, or other talents that require high levels of strengths, endurance, or flexibility. Just because your soulmate can lift 46 Kilos doesn't mean you can. (See chapter on _The Dangers of Mirroring: Doctor's advice and professional opinions_ ).
> 
> In synchronized competition, while not particularly illegal, conscious mirroring could provide an unfair advantage. Both soulmates have to prove more than proficient independently before competing professionally together. (See chapter on _Syncretism: Sports and Regulations)._  
> 
> In many incidences, when one soulmate is experiencing intense emotions, their subconscious self would 'check out' and the other soulmates conscious would then feel the void. This could result in 'swapping minds,' actually living briefly the life of the other. When this does happen, don't panic. It is important to know that there is protocol to follow. If you find yourself in a country and do not know the language, put your hands together and create a heart with your hands to let others know what is going on. Protocol is in place to make sure both soulmates are safe and physically and mentally healthy for the duration of time in the other's body. (See chapter on  _I'm Not Them,_   _But I Want to Meet Them)._
> 
> Soulmates have the right to protect their privacy and do not have to reveal anything about their other half lives, even if the swap happened in public. (See chapter on  _The Press Does NOT Have the Right to Know)._

      "Vitya?" His mother's voice drew him out of thoughts. "Vitya, YA poprosil vrachey prinesti telefon, chtoby ya mog pozvonit' domoy. She looked outside the tiny hospital window. It looked like a snow storm was blowing in. Babushka, dolzhno byt', ochen' perezhivayet za tebya, da?"  _I've asked the doctors to bring in a phone so I can call the house. Grandma must be very worried for you, yes?_

      Viktor ducked his head. "Prosti mama. Mne prishlos' nemedlenno sest' na avtobus ili podozhdat', poka moya babushka vernetsya s raboty, chtoby vstretit'sya s vami v bol'nitse. Babushka mozhet byt' slishkom ustavshey. Mne pridetsya podozhdat' do zavtra ili dazhe do vykhodnykh."  _Sorry mom. I had to take the bus right away or wait until grandma returned from work to meet you at the hospital. Grandma might be too tired then. I would have to wait until tomorrow or even the weekend._

      Rosa, hugged her son as tightly as she could to her side and looked outside the tiny hospital window. It looked like a snow storm was blowing in. They might get snowed in. She knew her baby boy missed her and wanted to see her, but it scared her, him taking risks like this. Anything could have happened to him.

      Rosa looked back at her beautiful son with tears in her eyes. She missed so much of his life already; being in and out of court for the divorce and child custody. And now she wasin and out of the hospital, missing even more of his life.  He was so sad all the time. He thought he hid it well from her, but she knew her emotional ball of fluff, was a big softy. He felt so much all the time. A ten year old shouldn't have to go through so much. 

      Trying to cheer themselves both up, she offer, "Ty khochesh', chtoby ya tebe pel?"  _Do you want me to sing to you?_

     Viktor immediately perked right up. His whole face shun with happiness and instead of his very enduring bow smile, it was all teeth and radiant. Her Malen'kiy angel. _Her little angel._ "Mama, ty snova zapletesh' mne volosy? pozhaluysta, babushka ne mozhet sdelat' eto svoimi rukami, i zaputat'sya, kogda ya poprobuyu."  _Mama, will you braid my hair again? Please, Grandma can't do it with her hands and I always get confused when I try._

Rosa laughed genuinely at her son. "Da." _Yes_. She smiled with a bow shaped smile of her own, and a sparkle in her eye. Gesturing for her son to sit between her legs and reaching for a brush she kept on a tray for just this occasion. When he settled between her legs, she began to run the brush with even strokes through his hair and began to sing. 

      [Aria: Stammi vicino, non te ne andare](https://vimeo.com/190616091) 

     Viktor's mother was a very talented opera singer. She was well known all over Russia and other parts of the world. Viktor loved to listen to his mother sing. He didn't know these words, but he loved how sad and hopeful it sounded at the same time. As his mother sang on and on, his mind became fussy as if falling into sleep. He was just about doze off when the door to the hospital room opened once again. Viktor pretended to sleep. His mother cut of her singing and her hands stilled within her son's hair. 

       "U tebya krasivyy poyushchiy golos, moy sladkiy."  _You have a beautiful singing_ voice, _my sweet._ Came a deep voice from the doorway.

       "Mitya, ya skazal tebe ne prikhodit'." _Mitya, I told you not to come._ Rosa hissed out. 

       "Roza, ty dumal, chto ya ne pridu, kogda u tebya byla operatsiya?" _Rosa, you thought I wouldn't come when you were having surgery?_

        " Vy sostoite v brake. Vy ne mozhete prodolzhat' prikhodit' ko mne na pomoshch', kak eto. YA prosto ne mogu etogo sdelat'."  _You are married. You can't keep coming to my rescue like this. I just can't do it._

Vikor tried to stealthy peek his eyes open at the intruder at the door. Looking through his eyelashes and trying to keep his breathing even, he saw the man. He had wide set shoulders, hair gone gray from old age, pale eyes, and an emperor style mustache and beard. _Who was this man, upsetting his mother?_

      "Schastlivo zhenat. YA by vsegda prishel za toboy, yesli smogu. YA ubral tebya ot tvoyego oskorbitel'nogo muzha. U tebya advokat. Otkryl svoy doveritel'nyy fond do svoyego dvadtsat' pyatogo dnya rozhdeniya, chtoby vy i vash syn ne golodali. YA khotel ubedit'sya, chto u tebya yest' vse, chto tebe nuzhno." Happily married.  _I would always come for you if I can. I removed you from your abusive husband. You have a lawyer. Opened your trust fund before your twenty-fifth birthday so that you and your son do not go hungry. I wanted to make sure you have everything you need._

      Viktor didn't think he fooled anyone, when he sucked in a startled breath and tried to cover it up with a snort from snoring. He closed his eyes just in case. His mother resumed her comforting brush strokes, but Viktor didn't know if it was for his benefit or his mother's. 

         "Seychas ne vremya razbirat'sya s etim ... spasibo, chto prishli ko mne, Dmitri."  _Now is not the time to deal with this ... thanks for coming to me, Dmitri._

       "Dlya chego nuzhny rodstvennyye dushi? Vozmozhno, my ne vsegda budem vmeste, no ya vsegda budu s toboy. Inogda ya khochu, chtoby zhizn' byla drugoy. Yesli by u nas ne bylo dvadtsatiletnego pereryva, yesli by my vstretilis' ran'she ... Vozmozhno." _What are soul mates for? We may not always be together, but I will always be with you. Sometimes I want life to be different. If we had not had a twenty-year gap in age, if we had met earlier ... Perhaps._

"YA znayu Dmitri, inogda zhelayu odnogo i togo zhe. No ya by nikogda ne brosil svoyego syna. YA by khotel, chtoby on byl tvoim synom, no ya by nikogda ne pozhelal, chtoby sobytiya, kotoryye priveli k yego rozhdeniyu. YA nazval yego v chest' tebya ... nu, u nego yest' imya i familiya ottsa, no vtoroye imya tvoye " _I know Dmitri, I wish for the same things sometimes. But I would never give up my son. I wish he were your son, but I would never wish away the events that led to his birth. I named him after you...well he has his father's first name and last name, but second name is yours._

The man laughed good heartily. "Mir ne nuzhdayetsya v drugom Dmitrii Baranovskom. Mne povezlo, chto u menya byli tol'ko docheri. Tri zamechatel'nyye docheri, kotoryye prinimayut posle svoyey materi, spasibo B'lyad"  _The world doesn't need another Dmitri Baranovsky. I was lucky to have only daughters. Three wonderful daughters who take after their mother, thank fuck._

      "Sledi za svoim yazykom vokrug moyego syna. Yemu ne nuzhen takoy rot na nem"  _Watch your tongue around my son. He doesn't need such a mouth on him._

       "Izvinite izvinite. YA zabyl Vse moi deti vyrosli. Moyemu mladshemu tol'ko chto ispolnilos' dvadtsat'. Bozhe, prosto posmotri na nego. Yemu tol'ko chto ispolnilos' ... desyat'? Roza, on pokhozh na tebya. Takaya krasivaya."  
_Sorry, sorry. I forget. My children are all grown. My youngest just turned twenty. God, look at him. He looks just like you. So beautiful._

"Mitya, s etim my soglasny. Ty poydesh' seychas?" _Mitya, that we agree on. Will you go now._

"Yesli vy snova spoyete etu pesnyu, ya uydu." _If you sing that song one more time, I will leave._ All Viktor heard before he finally did drift off the sleep was the sound of his mother tisking, and then her sweet voice luring him to sleep. 

      Viktor slept through the blizzard that blew in that night. He slept through the power outage and the backup generators kicking on. He slept through the nurses and doctors checking in on he and his mother. 

       And sometime around midnight while he slept, his conscious left his body.

* * *

       Viktor opened his eyes again to the sweet sound of birds chirping outside his window. That wasn't right. His mother was a famous opera singer, rich, and they lived in a mansion with his grandma. His room had no outside windows to speak of. And unless his mother's hospital room had a windowsill with birds nest outside-it didn't-there shouldn't be any birds chirping. The bright light irritated his eyes, and he shut them in irritation. His body rolled over without consent of his conscious mind and his head was buried under something soft, warm, and smelled sweet. 

_A pillow? I don't understand. Is this a dream? What?..._

     Viktor had an epiphany moment. If he could open his eyes in realization, and smile his usual bow shaped smile, he would. But he couldn't because he wasn't in his body. He was in his soulmates body. And it appeared his soulmate was not a morning person.  

     Viktor stayed like that involuntarily for quite some time with his eyes forcefully shut. It's not like he could do much else. He had no concept for the passing of time like this, surrounded by darkness and sweet smelling scents. Trying to gage his surroundings were useless. He gave mental sigh, and wished he could convey more of his frustration with his _sleeping?_ soulmate. Suddenly there was a high pitched beeping noise right beside his head that made his ears ring. Viktor heard a groan and something said incomprehensible, as his mates mouth was stuffed into the bed sheets as they were. 

      The alarm clock, an old fashioned round roman numeral one, was thrown across the room. His mate groaned again. Perked his butt up beneath the blanket and then tried to bury themselves deeper in the warmth. His mate was definitely not a morning person. 

     Their ears perked at a sliding sound caught his attention, before the warm blanket was thrust off of him, them. His mate's buttocks flexed in an involuntary move of discomfort as cold air drifted up their backside, and trailed up their spine from were the shirt lifted during the movement. They shivered. 

       "Onēsan, naze? Yamete!" _Big sister, Why? Stop!_ His soulmate squeaked out in annoyance. What kind of language was this? It sounded different, like the clashing of birds chirping, monkeys chattering, and bells chiming. _Bizarre._

 _"_  Ohayō, otōto. Okukawa sensei ga puraibētoressun no tame ni fuyuyasumi-chū ni 9-ji nide wanaku 8-ji ni au to itta koto o oboete imasu ka?"  _Good morning, little brother. Do you remember Okukawa sensei said to meet at 8:00 instead of 9:00 during winter break for a private lesson?_

 Viktor's mate groaned again, but this time Viktor felt their body slowly crouch in a kneeling upright position. Their head moved and Viktor could see. Kind of. Looking around blurrily, they lifted their hand to rub their eyes groggily. It was a surreal to feel himself blink slowly, and know it wasn't actually he doing the blinking. Annoyingly enough he could actually count the long thick black eyelashes as they swept down with each blink.

      Taking a mental breath, he tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling and look past the annoyance. Afterall, he was looking through his soulmates eyes, and needed to take in as much detail as possible so he could track them down. Surely, he would get some clues as to where his mate lives. Or what his mate was like. He already knew his soulmate wasn't a morning person. 

       Suddenly, his mate reached out a hand to fumble on a nightstand in front of their bed, and placed something cool and metal upon their nose and behind their ears. _Glasses! His mate had glasses._  The person who woke up his mate was female, with brown messy hair, brown slanted eyes, and ivory skin. She was oriental. _Chinese?_ Viktor had never been outside Russia before, and so had no way to distinguish the nationality of this person who woke up his soulmate so informally. _Perhaps they were related._   The room was simplistic enough. With one big window that overlooked the horizontal bed that ran right beneath it. The walls had a wooden frame and appeared to be made out of a thin material, perhaps  _paper_? At the foot of the bed there was a fan circulating air, and a wall of sorts dedicated to a wardrobe and shelves. To the left of the bed was a desk, and at the head of the bed was the door, most definitely made out of paper, that slid open and closed on a wooden frame. The walls held no posters or pictures of any kind, although the desk was cluttered with school like items. 

       "Ohayō, onesan. Okagawa sensei ga watashitachi ni kanojo no Minako sensei to yobu yō ni itta to omoimashita ka?" _Good morning. I thought Okakawa sensei told us to call her Minako Sensei?"_ Viktor's soulmate said in the same foreign language. 

     "Tabun, anata, kodomo. Anata no puroteje, watashi janai." _Maybe you, kid. Your the protégé, not me._ Viktor was clueless as to the conversation these two were having. Viktor was most definitely pouting in his head. This was no fun. He wanted to wake up already. 

     Suddenly their body was moving again involuntarily. They got up from bed, leaving it unmade and walked to a room down the hall, sliding open and closing the door. It was the restroom. Viktor panicked a little. He wasn't sure how he felt about seeing such an intimate part of his soulmates body so soon. But then his mate looked up and Viktor got a glimpse of his soulmate for the first time in the mirror. 

    A boy with soft features, round cheeks, big brown almond shaped eyes, and black messy hair. Viktor was immediately smitten. He felt his heart would burst, it was pounding so hard. The look only lasted a minute before his gaze was forced to look away landed on the toilet. When they pulled down their pants to relieve their bladder, Viktor only felt mild curiosity instead of embarrassment. His mate was small and held his private parts with delicate hands to aim a golden stream into the porcelain bowl. And missed. After cleaning his mess off the seat, he flushed and washed his hands, before leaving the restroom. 

     Viktor was glad that traumatic experience was over with, as they headed to the wardrobe. Viktor didn't have time to be embarrassed, his soulmate didn't have a mirror in his room and seemed to be on autopilot as he got dressed. Viktor didn't know what to make of the outfit. Loose sweats and a baggy shirt over black leggings, and white sock clad feet.  They heard the same voice from before, bellow something at his soulmate, and his mate chirped something back, before pulling on a heavy coat and light backpack and sprinting out the door with sneakers that has seen better days in hand. 

     Taking a left outside the door, they ran into the kitchen and what sounded like oh-hi-oh, shouted at them from multiple directions, and a ball made of rice with seaweed in the middle stuffed in his free hand, by a woman. Probably his soulmates mother. 

      Waiting for them outside was the person who Viktor was now convinced with 85% accuracy was his soulmate's sister, waiting with one foot propped on a petal of a bike. 

     The land had turned into a winter wonderland. It was January no matter where they were located in the world. Sometime during the night, the sky had dropped fresh snow. It was cold, but nothing like Russia's winters.

      Viktor didn't catch a glimpse of a second bike as they knelt down to stuff feet into the warn blue sneakers. The mystery was solved as his mate began to jog along side their sister. Keeping a careful eye on the ground as it had snowed recently and there might be icy patches. Viktor noticed from what he learned from his physical education, that his mate had excellent running form for such a young thing.

      How old was he anyway? He had to be younger than Viktor, himself. The book said so. Trying to place a number he guessed six or seven, because no way would parents just allow their child younger than that to go running such a long distance in the snow with only a sibling to watch over them.

      Then again this was a foreign country and he didn't know their customs. So maybe...

       And it was a long distance. The only thing keeping his soulmate company was his harsh breath puffing out visible in front of them, the sound of feet pounding the earth, and the sound of his soulmates sister riding beside them with the occasional sound of a bicycle bell chiming.

      Viktor wished he was able to catch a glimpse more of the city his mate lived in, but his mate ran with his head down at a steady pace, so he wouldn't slip on ice. And what he did see was obstructed by blurs of white mounds of snow. Viktor sucked at directions anyway. He would get lost everywhere.

      Soon, they were slowing down beside a two story clay building. There was a sign in the front window but Viktor couldn't read whatever language it was written in. The walked right in, saying that Oh-hi-oh word and kicked off their shoes in the doorway, and putting slippers on to walk to a room on the other side of a round counter. 

     Mirror's surrounded the whole room with little bars attached a quarter way up the mirrors. Is this a ballet studio? His soulmate practiced ballet. So that little room off to the side must be a dressing room, Viktor thought.

      Suddenly he heard a louder, brasher voice behind them shout in a scratchy voice. They all jumped. 

    "Futari tomo chikoku shimasu. Futari wa chikoku shinai koto de nipponbunka o sonchō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Jikai wa jikandōrini shite kudasai."  _You both are late. You need to show respect to Japan's culture by being on time. Don't be late next time._

"Hai, Sensei.  Gomen sensei." _Yes sensei. Sorry Sensei._ The two chorased after being scolded by the woman with long brown loose hair, skinny frame, wearing tights a leotard and ballet slippers, with hands on hips. The woman leaned over his soulmate, glaring into their eyes, and Viktor could smell the alcohol on her breath. 

      "Watashi ga tōchaku suru toki made ni, watashi wa Yuuri ga kare no kin'niku o nobashite, soshite atatameta koto o kitai shimasu. Reigai naku."  _By the time I arrive, I expect Yuuri to stretch and warm his muscles. Without exception._ The instructor said with one hand on hip and the other pointing accusingly at Yuri. "Soshite, asa wa dō yatte sensei ni aisatsu shimasu ka."  _And how do you greet your sensei in the morning?_

"Ohayō, Minako Sensei." Viktor's mate seemed to stamer out from intimidation. 

   "Totemo yoi. Anata no kyōdai ga kichinto suibun hokyū sa rete sutoretchi sa rete iru koto o kakuninshitekudasai. Kare wa barē ga tokuidesu. Dakarakoso watashi wa puraibētoressun o ukete imasu."  _Very good. Make sure your brother is properly hydrated and stretched. He is good at ballet. That is why I am giving him private lessons._

Once more Viktor found himself kneeling on the ground, but was wrapping tape around his toes and lacing up ballet slippers.

Viktor soon learned that while he enjoyed watching the instructor demonstrate the moves. Experiencing it with just his eyes was a dizzying affair. When he wasn't dizzy, he was board stiff and his mate was forced to hold multiple positions for long periods of time.

      Soon he discovered by making eye contact with his soulmates reflection on each rotation of the turns, allowed for Viktor to keep his equilibrium, be not so dizzy, and gave the added benefit of looking into his soulmates eyes for fractions of a second. When his soulmate wasn't turning, holding positions, and stretching, he was drinking water and chattering away with his sister and instructor like they were old friends. His soulmate's sister plied him with so much water that when he didn't sweat it out, he ran to the bathroom.

       When his soulmates hour long private lesson was over, they joined a full class. But Viktor could tell that his soulmate was better than all the other little kids combined. 

* * *

     Viktor heard his name being called, and slowly swam to wakefulness in his mother's lap. _Was it all a dream? NO!_  He didn't realize he said that outloud.

    "O chem ty mechtal, moya sladkaya?" What were you dreaming of, my sweet? Asked his mother in concern. 

    "Oh, Mama. Eto byl ne son. Eto bylo real'no. YA videl ... YA videl svoyu vtoruyu polovinku. On zamechatel'nyy! On tantsuyet i tak bystro. U nego yest' sestra ... Mama, ya dumayu, chto on kitayets!" _Oh, mama. It wasn't a dream. It was real. I saw...I saw my soulmate. He is wonderful! He dances, and is so fast. He has a sister...Mama, I think he is Chinese!_

His mother only laughed and asked him to slow down. l"Podozhdi dorogoy. Pomedlenneye. Vy smotreli glazami svoyey vtoroy polovinki vo vremya sna? " _Wait, dear. Slow down. You looked in through the eyes of your soulmate while sleeping?_

Viktor only nodded and launched into the telling of his story again, with no more questions ask. Providing more and more detail. "I on govorit po-kitayski, no mama, ya dumayu, on zhivet v Ogayo. Eto mesto pravil'no?" _And he speaks Chinese, but Mama, I think he lives in Ohio. That's a place right?_ Viktor asked worriedly. He thought perhaps Ohio was in America, but couldn't be sure. Geography wasn't his strong suit in school. 

     "Vitya!" His mama laughed again like bells chiming in the winds. Rosa finally put two and two together. Her son's soulmate wasn't Chinese. He was Japanese. What he described of his soulmates house sounded like a traditional Japanese home. He most certainly did not live in the United States. Ohayō, meant good morning in Japanese. She could certainly understand how her eccentric ten year old son, would get confused.  

      She quickly calculated the time difference between St. Petersburg, Russia and Japan.It was just coming on 5 a.m. viktor's grandmother would be on her way to pick him up to go to school soon. He _might_ _have_ finished his homework while waiting for her to get back to the room. But he needed fresh clothes and a lunch packed.

       Rosa looked wistfully at the closed door. She thought of her own soulmate who came all the way to the hospital in a blizzard because he felt her fear of being alone for yet another medical procedure. They lived in the same city their whole lives, but with twenty year separating their ages, he was happily married by the time she was born. They missed their chance to connect.

     Her son would have an opportunity to be with his soulmate. With only about six or seven hours ahead, she calculated her son would be spending many mornings going through his soulmate's morning routines. And when the time was right, she would make sure they met. It wasn't like they couldn't afford the cost of air travel.

      Ignoring the aches and pains in her bones, she jumped into explaining these things to her son. 

     ".... Tak, mama, ya mogu?  "... _So, mama, can I?_ Viktor suddenly asked, pulling her out of her explanation of Japanese customs and the very basic geography she knew. For a moment, she thought her son would ask to go to Japan. 

      "Chto Vitya, skazhi eto yeshche raz?" _What, Vitya? Say that again?_

      "Mogu li ya vzyat' uroki baleta tozhe? " _May I take ballet lessons, too?_ Viktor huffed out with an uncharacteristic show of impatience. 

        A fond smile graced her pale and chapped lips, and Vitya answered the smile with his own bow shaped upturn of lips. 

        "Da, Vitya. YA zaplachu za uroki baleta."  _I'll pay for ballet lessons._

         "YA dazhe poznakomlyu tebya s instruktorom baleta, Viktor. Moya sestra Lilia Baranovskaya." _I'll even introduce you to a ballet instructor, Viktor. My sister Lilia Baranovskaya._ Came a gruff voice from the door. Dmitri Baranovsky had been listening to his soulmate's son excited account of seeing through mate's eyes with silent tears. He was so happy that already, Roza's son was going to have what they never could because of their age difference. 

      Viktor's smile was radiant. He truly hadn't felt this way in a long time. 

* * *

      From a whole continent and ocean between them, six year old Katsuki Yuuri felt his heartbeat kick up unexpected, and felt an unexplainable feeling of elation. A bubbling laugh suddenly erupted from his throat. When Minako Sensei looked at him with concern, and his onesan hollard at him from her perch in the corner doing her nails; all Yuuri could do was shrug. He couldn't explain it. He just felt like laughing in the middle of his cool down after a hard three hour practice.               

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments below.
> 
> Stay Awesome!
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Devra


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